


Losing Her

by GoodOldBaz



Category: Endeavour (TV), Inspector Morse & Related Fandoms, Inspector Morse (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Endeavour Morse - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Max DeBryn - Freeform, Memories, Reginald Bright - Freeform, asexual Reginald Bright, asexual reference, asexual suggestion, endeavour - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 15:25:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18166919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodOldBaz/pseuds/GoodOldBaz
Summary: What happened after Max and Bright met at the club?





	Losing Her

**Author's Note:**

> I headcanon Bright as on the ace spectrum, and I kind of reference that in the fic.

“Well, thank you,” he said, nodding, “For seeing me.”  
“My pleasure, Chief Superintendent,” responded the other.  
The little man turned to go. Something stopped him, and he glanced back at his companion. “You won’t… tell anyone?” he said.  
“Of course not,” he replied. “Though might I advise,” he added, “That sharing one’s emotions with others is often a balm in these sorts of times.”  
Bright half smiled. “I’ve never been particularly good at that...”  
Max glanced at the floor.  
“My thoughts will be with you during this time,” he said, when Bright extended his hand to say goodbye.  
“I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again,” Bright nodded.  
Max assented, and watched the Chief Superintendent walk out of the club. Despite the cold, clear night air, Bright felt suffocated as he walked down the street to where he had parked his car. His last hope, dashed. He couldn’t think clearly - this couldn’t be, he couldn’t be… losing her. They had been together, through good and bad, and there had been some very terrible bad, for nearly 40 years. Home life, he thought, might not be so different. She always out somewhere. But this time, she wouldn’t be coming home. He wouldn’t see her having her breakfast of toast and jam in the morning as he fed the cats, smiling as they circled his ankles. She often laughed then. She so rarely laughed. He thought of the evenings, when he’d already gotten ready for bed, and was sitting in the living room with a drink, wrapped in a dressing gown, waiting to make sure she returned safely. She would sit down opposite him and tell him all the news, how everyone was doing, what she’d done in town, and then they would go to their separate rooms. He would lay in bed, under heavy covers, listening to their noisy plumbing as she got ready for bed, and then he would hear her door creak shut. A comforting feeling, knowing the person you cared about was safe in bed. He would feel that no more.  
He reached his car, and crawled inside, wondering if, perhaps, he had had a bit too much to drink to be driving. He started the car anyways, and thought about how they used to take drives on Sunday afternoons, go into town and get tea and dessert. They would hold hands. Sometimes he would even kiss her hand. He never minded if people looked at them. In his own way, perhaps different than most, he loved her.  
He pulled into his driveway with no clear memory of how he had gotten there.  
“Home,” he called, when he had gotten inside. His gray tabby rubbed around his ankles and he gave it a gentle pat. He walked into his living room to find his wife sitting quietly, her hands folded onto her lap. He sat down next to her.  
“Oh my dear,” he said gently, taking her hands in his. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more for you.”  
She looked at him with sad eyes. “Dear Puli,” she breathed. “You’ve given me the world.”  
He looked away, blinking. “But there were so many times… so many times I should have said yes to you, when I said no. So many more things I could have given you.”  
She put her hand on the side of his cheek and turned his face to look at her. “You gave me you, as you are, and you treated me far better than I ever deserved. No woman could have asked for a better husband.”  
Tears rose in his eyes. “And no man a better, more understanding wife.”


End file.
